Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-11

No more unique, Obstructive, ard ct the
same time popular character stands before
The people to-day than Ella wheeler
Wilcox.
Born in Wisconsin vill&ge some thirty
odd years ago, when Wisconsin was moi
mnch more thsn frontier state, WIthous
influential friends or family, end "itncuE
money, she made tor herself q name Ii
literature which commanded attention
before she was eighteen years OLD. 10
one who knows il in detail her history
reads like fairy story. Reared on
western prairie, she is an ornament 10
the most brilliant circles OF the melrop-
oils.
she had never seen al editor CT literary
nerson and knew nothing OF the methOas
of getting into print when, al fourteen
she read her first production 20 the press
The New York Mercury published these
childish efforts which were written ID
prose and under nom-de-Plumes.
Il declined the first poem she ever sept
for publication, and the editor sarcastic
civ advised her to "crush her Ambitions
to be poet"
The Waverly Magazine has the honor
to be the first to present the name OF Eila
Wheeler to the public.
| Frank Leslie sent her the first check
she ever received st seventeen years OF
agex
From thst time to the present day che
has never swerved nor talteTed II the
steady, hard climb toward success.
She never sent manuscript IN her life
for criticism and never asked for aid OF
influence in her literary ventures.
During the last fifteen yesrs Ellt
Wheeler has probably been the most CRIT
icised, abused, praised, misconsttued snC
admired woman in the literary world.
Without particle of effort to create
sensation, everything she has IN TIA
time written has had the effect OF stlrr!Ds
up criticism.
Her writings seem to be possessed OF
| certain something cOmbustible III tnel
composition, that on striking outer al
, invariably rends It with more or less
an explosion.
t Her first published book was "Drops O
: Water" collection OF juvenile temper
ance verses. These were crude but hlle'
with the dramatic enthusiasm which has g
permeated her later work, and prOvoke'
, prsise and censure IN prOporticnate guam
titles from the contending FORCES on ID
liquor question.
i "Shells," little volume now out
!: print, comes next.
"Maurinne," by many considered ne
: finest work, and the famous Poems c
3 Passion which set the literary world o
: fire, followed within three years OF eac
other.
Columns of abuse and praise items rid
iculiug and eulogizing the latter voium
filed all the papers in the country.
Some of her friends urged her to sup
press the book after its first appearance
but strong in The courage OF her cohslc
:, tions, she read the severe and unjust re
views through tears, not unmlxea VIII
: smiles ct sight of the golden coins wnlc
= punctuated the comments OF the crltlcs.
Many of these dollars were spent
l building home for aging parents, az
much of the halo now surrounding tn
| remarkable woman's life is the refectio
of the generous deeds Of her early monte
life.
Milwaukee people gave her "beneft
in Mav,l8S3, when she wss made the sui
:. iect of speech by United States Sen
s tor and was presented with chirs bask
S containing $500 in gold.
!. Long before her happy marriage in Ma
,. 1884, with the elegant aud cultivated ge
r tleman VINO brought her to the esst, h
: naTae was household word and she wi
"a a welcome guest in the best circles OF Il
n great northeast.
n To her rare genius we're ADDED urusu
; graces of person. She Was brlils
and tsctful talker, good dancer, and